[nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:

Mon Jun 4 11:24:56 CDT 2007

Hi Ray!
Maybe you did not read my message clearly. I acknowledge that players are being made. I simply stated  that as far as I know from the information that I have read NLS is still working on the transition to digital. Honestly I am a little annoyed with the tone of your message to me. I do check my facts. I called Ruth nuwsbaum reference librarian and she stated that they are still going forward with the program to produce the players. She said that the GAO is questioning weather commercially available players can be used. I asked her about the use of digital Software that can be downloaded from NLS for those who could use it and she said that it would be difficult for the senior blind to use. I agree with her observation that the players need to be manufactured for the senior blind or people who are not able to use computers. However, she then stated that the CD players and digital books from Recordings for the Blind are difficult for totally blind persons to use. I am totally blind and
 I use DAISY, and have used the Bookport and TELEX Scholar with out difficulty. I have been using the CD's and the authorization from Recordings for the blind for the past several years. 
Hope     

-----Original Message-----
.From: "Ray Foret Jr."<rforetjr at bellsouth.net>
.Sent: 6/3/07 5:10:13 PM
.To: "NFB Talk Mailing List"<nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
.Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.Hope, first of all, let's acknowledge a few simple facts here.
.
.1.  You and I and others on this list may possess technological know how; 
.but, as a matter of fact, many talking book readers are senior citizens who
.    a.  don't have computers.
.    b.  can't be much bothered with them even if they had the chance to get 
.one.
.
.2.  Most of the digital players on the market today are very menu driven. 
.The so-called "memorize and press" routine just won't work for many talking 
.book readers; though it may work okay for you and me.
.
.3.  Even on a player which is not menu driven, the physical controls are or 
.can be extremely delicate.  Such is the delicacy of some of the controls 
.that a firm press on one could cause the electronics involved to misbehave. 
.I know, I went  through at least two Sony Minidisc recorders; and, on each 
.one, the controls tended to give out after a while.  Blind and other people 
.who have difficulty with light touch controls will have trouble with a 
.commercial player such as we have today.
.
.4.  You are wrong about no players being developed.  A working prototype is 
.indeed in existence even now.  It's a matter now of finding and contracting 
.with a firm to actually make the player; and, this is not an overnight 
.proposition.
.
.    May I respectfully suggest you check your facts before making such 
.assumptions as you have made in your message?
.
.thank you.
.
.Sincerely yours,
.The Constantly Barefooted,
.Ray
.Home phone and fax:
.(985)853-0139
.E-mail:
.rforetjr at bellsouth.net
.Skype Name:
.barefootedray
.Blog:
.www.raysworld.blogs.com
.Podcast .rss Feed:
.http://feeds.feedburner.com/worldofray
.
.God bless President George W. Bush!
.God bless our troops!
.and God bless America
.----- Original Message ----- 
.From: "Hope Hein" <hmhein at verizon.net>
.To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
.Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 2:58 PM
.Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
.
.
.Why can't they allow people to download books on to their Notetaker's and 
.computers digitally? They could have an authorization key or a password and 
.statement like Bookshare has to ensure that only the intended recipient is 
.able to access the material? For people who do not use computers they could 
.have a player. The books could be in the plastic containers which would fit 
.into the players.
.
.I do not understand what the fuss is about. I thought NLS was in the process 
.of creating these players and that they would be created by 2008. I do not 
.remember where I read the creation of these players. What is happening? Have 
.they decided not to create the players?
.Hope
.-----Original Message-----
..From: "Kenneth Chrane"<kenneth.chrane at verizon.net>
..Sent: 6/3/07 5:26:32 AM
..To: "kenneth at myfreedombox.com"<kenneth at myfreedombox.com>, 
."pmsinc at juno.com"<pmsinc at juno.com>
..Cc: "Multiple recipients of NFBnet NFB-Talk Mailing 
.List"<NFB-Talk at nfbnet.org>, 
."CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com"<CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com>, 
."peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com"<peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com>
..Subject: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
..
..Name: Kenneth Chrane
..Your email address - a copy will be sent here: kenneth.chrane at verizon.net -
..Reply
..Phone: (410) 486-1569 Baltimore, Maryland USA
..
..Editorial:
..
..
..The Washington Post
..
..Wednesday, May 30, 2007
..
..Page A12
..
..Keep the Books Talking
..
..Congress should fund the digitization of a vital audio library for the
..blind.
..
..A half-million Americans stand in danger of losing their public library.
..They are the nation's blind, and their library is Talking Books, through
..which
..the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of 
.the
..Library of Congress (NLS) provides 500,000 Americans with free audio
..recordings
..of about as many books. Unlike the "books on tape" that are sold at retail
..bookstores, these recordings are unabridged, extensive and diverse -- and
..are
..designed for people who have no other way of reading print.
..
..Unfortunately, today's Talking Books technology is ready to meet its maker.
..The program currently uses half-speed audiotapes that patrons listen to on
..special
..devices. These tape players, like the Talking Books record players that
..preceded them, are obsolete, and are no longer even being manufactured. To
..bring
..the program into the 21st century, the NLS hopes to digitize its entire
..library and create new players. It has spent 17 years researching, building
..and
..testing new products, and it is ready to manufacture a fully accessible
..flash-drive player. The Library of Congress has asked Congress to
..appropriate about
..$76.4 million to produce the players and digitize thousands more books.
..
..A forthcoming Government Accountability Office report, however, may derail
..the NLS's plans. In a draft version of the report completed several weeks
..ago,
..the GAO faulted the NLS for not considering existing commercial products
..such as CD players and iPods instead of creating a new device. This sounds
..like
..a reasonable concern, given tales of exorbitant government spending on $792
..doormats and $400 hammers. But creating special, noncommercial players is
..crucial
..to the continued existence of Talking Books. Commercially available
..products, which often use visual screens and are not labeled in Braille, 
.are
..not accessible
..to the visually impaired. More important, to comply with U.S. copyright 
.law,
..Talking Books can record and distribute only audio books that cannot be
..played
..by commercial devices.
..
..Should the GAO keep this misguided criticism in its final report, lawmakers
..should not be swayed by it. Instead, Congress should fully fund Talking
..Books'
..digital upgrade, a project that will grant many disabled Americans the same
..literary access afforded to the sighted.
..
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